HOUSTON, TEXAS, November 9, 2007: Ask the young students at the DAV School what they like best about Diwali and their answers come fast. “Fireworks!” several shout, giddy with anticipation of the Hindu holiday they will celebrate today. “Dancing! Sweets. Lights. Decorations.” But they also know the story behind the festival of lights, which is one of the most popular Hindu celebrations. “It was the return of Lord Ram to his capital Ayodhya after 14 years of exile,” first-grader Chakra Pani explained. “And between good and evil the war ended and the good won, that is the significance.” Because Ram returned on a night with no moon, the 6-year-old continued, locals placed diyas, or lighted clay pots, so he could find his way. The tradition continues today. Besides celebrating the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, Diwali, also called Deepavali in Sanskrit, celebrates knowledge over ignorance.
The DAV Montessori School in west Houston, which serves 80-plus students from preschool to first grade, was founded in 2000, and combines a Western education with Indian culture. This week, the classrooms are decorated with colorful paper cutouts of diya lamps. A white, red and blue rangoli pattern made of sand and rice includes a “Happy Diwali” greeting. “I think Diwali has become better known as the population of Indians has grown in the United States,” school director Arti Khanna said. “In India, they celebrate Diwali at home. Here we do both, but the temple makes it more fun.”
Chakra, dressed in a red tunic and beige pants, said Diwali is a happy day for his family. “We light up our houses and wear new clothes so Lakshmi can bless us,” he said, speaking of the goddess of wealth who is celebrated on Diwali. Classmate Mehek Sikka, 6, has been helping her mother clean their house, another important Diwali tradition. Hindus began celebrating last week and events will continue through November. At a festival at their school, located behind the Arya Samaj Greater Houston & Vedic Culture Center, 23 of the older children recently performed a lively Diwali dance and sang a song in Hindi.